Nasu Dengaku

For his Nasu Dengaku, Best New Chef Kevin Tien of Himitsu in Washington, D.C., brushes eggplant with a sweet yuzu-miso glaze, broils it until smoky and tender, finishes it with a lime-chile-soy vinaigrette with Szechuan peppercorns, and tops it with roasted pumpkin and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

YUZU-MISO GLAZE

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoons sake

1/4 cup white miso

3/4 teaspoon yuzu juice

LIME-CHILE-SOY VINAIGRETTE

1/2 cup canola oil

4 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 large garlic cloves, smashed

2 cinnamon sticks

2 whole star anise

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 4 limes)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons black vinegar

2 tablespoons black vinegar

1 tablespoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

8 (8-inch-long) Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup roasted salted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

How to Make It

Step 1 Make the yuzu-miso glaze

Stir together sugar, mirin, and sake in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; add miso and yuzu juice; stir until smooth. Set aside.